Don't ask why!
Does one really need a good explanation to visit The Eternal City?
Not really - everybody with a sense of
history or culture or
architecture should visit this City of Splendours at least once during a
lifespan, where
attractions stand in line after one another. One visit could easily lead
to another as well, whether you toss a coin into the Fontana di Trevi or
not. The time had come to visit The Eternal City. A map, a guidebook and
some hotel browsing was done beforehand, and the Radisson SAS Es hotel
was chosen, both due to its very convenient location as well as its well
known standard.
Going
The flight from Oslo took 3h 15 minutes, and the flight left at 8:30
in the morning, so a stopover at the
Radisson SAS Gardermoen Airport
Hotel was a sensible thing to do. The breakfast they serve starts at
5:00 in the morning, and is very extensive (as is common for this
chain). It was seriously cold when Gardermoen was left behind - being in
the end of March, the water puddles froze during the evening. The flight
down was quite bumpy, probably due to switching between climate zones,
as the temperature at the destination was around 20°C. Rome's
international Fiumicino (or Leonardo da Vinci) airport was a pleasant
surprise and didn't have a typical Italian feel to it (interpret it as
you like ;)
However, things were soon back to normal as the Leonardo "Express" was
boarded and the course was set for Roma Termini (Rome's central train
station). This express train could barely have travelled above 60 km/h
at any time, often moving a lot slower and several times coming to
complete stops for reasons unknown. The ride took more than 45 minutes,
and would for us foreigners not qualify for the title of 'airport
express train'.
Arrival & day 1
The hotel was very conveniently located right outside the exit from
the platform where the airport (express) train arrives. Still, a scenic
road was chosen, as the hotel sign wasn't visible from the station exit,
leading to a bit of dragging of suitcases along the station area. Once
inside, the reception shows the first signs of this being a 'design'
style hotel. It is very airy and spacious however, so it is a nice
introduction. The reservation confirmation was a-ok, but upon entering
the supplied room, it was obvious that it was not yet ready (a too early
arrival at 14-15 or so?), so another room was supplied, which was
luckily ready for 'boarding' - referring to the design of the hotel,
which is like an upside down ship. The rooms also show this clearly, as
the floors resemble woodboards on a ship, and the side of the bed rises
into an s-shaped curve of wooden boards - watch your bare feet here.
More design-ish interior: an LCD TV, a lamp which fills up with gas once
you turn it on, and a bathroom light which is controlled by a circular
metal touchscreen. And no wardrobe -
just an open rack for your clothes.
The room itself was the smallest I have experienced with this hotel
chain (6 visited so far), a third of which is occupied by the bathroom,
which is spacious enough in itself. The roof terrace is an experience
though. Formed like the bottom of a ship, it houses a swimming pool
(only open during the summer) and commands a nice view over the station
and the red rooftops around. It is a great place to rise above the
traffic, absorb some sun, and relax after a hectic day of sightseeing.
Even though the hotel is close to
the central railway station, it is less noisy than expected - after all,
Roma Termini is Europe's largest railway station, and the main building
seems to cover an area at least half a kilometre in length.
It was time for a bit of sightseeing, and it was already late afternoon,
so the trip would have to be somewhat limited. According to the map,
Colosseum and Forum Romanum should be close, so this would be the chosen
destination. In fact, many of Rome's most famous sights are within
walking distance of one another - the Centro Storico or historical
centre isn't that big. Indeed, after only a few minutes of walking,
the
hulking walls of the Colosseum were visible at the far end of the road.
It was an even more impressive sight than expected, and once there, the
actual structure dwarfed any picture one might have in mind about how
big it would actually be. There was a huge queue to get in there, yet
the one where you got an audio guide was strangely empty. The choice was
then obvious, as the audio guide is considered somewhat optional
depending on your interest in details about the place. Parts of the
arena floor had been rebuilt, which was not expected, as I recall no
picture showing this. The actual
arena was smaller than expected, but
the side walls were still an impressive sight, as was the depth and
extension of the room/hallway system beneath the arena, almost like a
small catacomb area in itself. This area was used for housing animals,
gladiators and theatrical scenery, as well as elevators and pulleys for
easy access to it all. It has been said that the arena could even be
flooded rapidly through the use of a nearby aqueduct, for creating
replicas of sea battles.
The Colosseum was built in AD 70-80 by Emperor Vespasian (finished after
his death by his son Titus) and
was originally named Amphitheatrum
Flavium. Its opening was celebrated by 100 days of continuous
slaughtering of animals, christians (heathens) and gladiatorial battles.
It was said that the stench of rotting carcasses was only superseded by
the scent of the women's perfumes.
It measures 189 by 156 by 48 metres, and much of the structure has
suffered damage over its nearly 2000 years of existence, such as
earthquakes, fires and plundering of stone. Some scaffolding at the top
of the outer wall was visible, although it seemed small
compared to the
structure itself. Just outside stands the Arch of Constantine, one of
many triumphal arches in the vicinity, most of which are inside the
Forum Romanum area, which lies just next to and on each side of the Via
dei Fori Imperiali road. It was already 19 in the evening, therefore a
bit late to pay a visit, so a stroll was made down the road instead
towards the Piazza Venezia and the hulking monument to the first king of
a unified Italy, Vittorio Emmanuel II, and
was finished in 1925. It is
70 metres tall and 135 metres wide, and houses the Tomb of the Unnamed
Soldier. Various none-too-complimenting names have been given to it by
the natives, for example "the wedding cake". It does indeed light up
when compared to the nearby buildings which are mostly grey or brown,
and doesn't look too beautiful next to the ancient ruins of the Forum
area.
Dinner was done in a nearby Chinese cafe-style place, nothing fancy, but
good and inexpensive food, and it is always a safe bet, in case you
don't want to sample the local cuisine.
Day 2: Via Appia Antica and
Catacombs...but where is the ancient road?
A full day was set aside for visiting the Via Appia Antica, which
according to pictures and brochures seemed almost like a natural park
with several ruins along the way, in addition to a possibility to visit
the famous catacombs (of which Rome has many separate in various
places). It would however prove to be a challenge to actually get there,
and another experience with 'the Italian way'.
But first..the breakfast at the
hotel deserves special mention. Of the places I have stayed so far, this
surpasses them all - the variety and selection of foodstuff was simply
amazing - and everything was top quality - especially the fresh fruit
(kiwi, pineapple etc), and they even had champagne or white wine (did
not try this..a bit too early for alcohol consumption!) It did however
come at a hefty price tag - EUR 26 per person.
At first, the so-called Archeobus would be the obvious choice to go for - a
hop-on, hop-off route which went around the Appian road, so this one was
sought out right in front of the Termini station, at the Piazza dei
Cinquecento, which is the main bus station. Asking for a ticket at the
bus was returned with a not-too eager pointing out of the ticket office,
to which there was a huge line. No choice obviously, but to get in
there. While standing in the queue, an official tourist helper of some
sort came and asked what kind of ticket was wanted.
"Oh, for the Archeobus you can buy it directly on the bus!".
"No, that was refused".
"Ok, sometimes you can buy a ticket directly on the bus".
Oh well..he was trying to help at least. Finally reaching the ticket
counter, the conclusion from the seller was that the upcoming bus was
full. But maybe come back in an hour or so and if you are lucky you can
get a ticket for the next one. Right..after all, time does not pass by
when you wait, only when you go sightseeing.
A return trip to the hotel to ask for help there was done. They came up
with a route for getting to the start of the Via Appia Antica, yet two
separate bus journeys were given. After a bit of fiddling with the
printed papers, it turned out the first leg was getting to the bus
station outside Termini! That was really not necessary, so another trip
was made back there. Newspaper/tobacco kiosks/stands sell bus and tram
tickets - you can't buy them on the bus or at the ticket office either.
At least it is simple enough (and cheap - 1 euro per ticket) once you
know how the system works, although it may at times be confusing.
Checking the map carefully while being southward bound, the correct stop
was reached, and it was time to check the guidebook.
The bus stop was near a big area of ancient thermal baths, but no sign
saying anything about the Appian way. Something was wrong here..it
didn't quite match with the guidebook either, and after a bit of
pondering and head scratching, it was concluded that the guidebook was
wrong - two almost identical road names misplaced. Finally, the Porta di
San Sebastiano was reached, which marked the start of the Via Appia
Antica, and the beginning of the Aurelian wall. From here, the Via went
straight south, but..heavy traffic marred the experience to say the
least. This was nothing like the expected natural park. No pavement and
high speed cars turned the walk into a somewhat dangerous and dusty
experience. After quite a bit of walking, an area resembling a park was
reached - near the Catacombe di San Sebastiano. These would be visited
but...it was closed for siesta between 12 and 14. More waiting to do..at
least the weather was nice and the traffic was more remote.
The visit to the catacombs proved to be an exciting experience - it is
almost unimaginable that these catacombs alone house 500.000 graves!
With all its stairs and labyrinthine network, it is no wonder that
tourists are only allowed inside on a guided tour. One slight quirk -
the guide at some point spoke a few Italian words, with the conclusion
that since we all (foreign tourists) were going to Italy, we really
should learn some Italian. I was suggested to ask if she would learn
some Chinese if she would go on a short shopping trip to Beijing..I know
Italians who visit Norway don't learn Norwegian beforehand, so why
should there be different rules for us? Italian is only spoken in Italy
after all, and is not considered a world language by far.
After the trip it was time for the fun of cars rushing by at excessive
speeds again while clinging to the narrow road, which sides were blocked
by walls. Upon reaching the Porta di San Sebastiano, this one was
entered and the traffic inside was much less than that outside, due to
it being a one-lane road.
All in all, it was amazing to see how much of this day was wasted with
waiting, fiddling, searching and head scratching. There could have been
more signs around as well, that is for sure. Finding a place to eat
outside the tourist centres at lunchtime isn't easy either, since they
will either be completely absent, or closed until the evening.
Day 3 - Long excursion!
On the day before it was decided to book a place on a guided tour to
Pompeii. The weather forecast was promising, and indeed on the next day,
the weather was absolutely marvellous. The chosen tour was one from the
company 'Appian Lina', and they arranged with pick-up shuttle buses from
the various hotels to their starting location. Unfortunately, the
pick-up was so early that there was no chance for a breakfast, but a
small breakfast bag was instead fixed from the hotel's side at no
additional cost (kudos to them for that). There was quite a bit of wait
before the actual bus left from the Appian Line office, in between which
the ticket was paid for (105 EUR per person). Once on the bus, a
disappointing sign showed that no
consumption of food or drink was
allowed on board. That's all fine with Italians, who barely gulp down an
espresso and on a lucky day a glass of orange juice in the morning, but
for tourists who are used to real breakfasts, it was the first let-down
of the trip. After more than an hour, the bus stopped at a local cafe,
and by this time stomachs were growling all around. There was barely
enough time to consume the contents of the breakfast package, since
Italians don't eat much breakfast anyway, and we as tourists still had
to follow this principle.
The guide for the day was a substitute, as the regular one was on sick
leave. She was a bit uninspiring in her description of the tour and the
countryside, and not much of what was said is recalled now. After 3
hours, we arrived in Napoli (Naples), and the side we came in via is the
most ugly part of a city that I have ever seen, even making the back
alleys of Saigon look like green parks. Indescribably ugly building
blocks, huge amounts of litter and scrap lying around, no seeming
attempt at preserving buildings before they fall down, chaotic traffic
and poor roads all added to the impression.
One can only smile at the irony of the expression 'see Naples and die -
Vedi Napoli e poi Muori', an expression used during the city's golden
age in the 18th century, as it was a sovereignity on its own. The
expression means that you must see the beauty of Naples before you die -
now, one would be more inclined to think that parts of Naples is so ugly
that you will die from shock after having seen it.
The historical centre is better though, along with the area by the Bay
of Napoli. We picked up a local historian/guide on the way, and he told
a bit about the city, after which we had a stop by the bay, which
was so
far the most pleasant experience of the tour. After four hours, some of
the tourists on the bus were getting impatient (americans), and asked if
the tour actually did go to Pompeii. I would agree with them to some
extent at this point - this is what we would want to see after all. Some
30 km along the bay area lies the town of Pompeii itself, now a modern
town adjacent to the historical ruin. We stopped for lunch at a local
restaurant here, where we were served the most disappointing meal I have
ever had in Italy. Wine and coffee came at an additional cost, which
they forgot to mention until after you had been served it.
Finally the time had come to enter the ruins themselves. Somewhat sadly,
no amnesty was given to walk
independently of the group - one would miss
out on the actual tour, it was said, but there would be enough time
given to roam around after the guiding was complete, which took some two
hours but was quite interesting mostly. The ruins themselves are a
wonderful experience - the town feels almost as if it had been abandoned
recently, even nearly two thousand years after its day of doom, when Mt
Vesuvius decided to wipe it out on a fateful day in AD 79. It shot out
millions of tonnes of rock and debris, but what caused the majority of
deaths in Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum was
when the volcanic ash
column collapsed on itself and created a so-called pyroclastic surge,
which travels at a speed of well over 100 km/h and has a temperature of
500°C, instantly incinerating and vaporizing all organic material it
touches. This was also how the gruesome replicas of the bodies could be
re-created: as they were covered in hot ash and stone, while the flesh
of the bodies vaporized, the cavity they had filled remained, so that
these could be filled up again with gypsum or whatnot.
Pompeii was rediscovered in the late 18th century, and dug out since
from the ash
and rock that buried it, which is why so much of it is
still well preserved - frescoes and floor mosaic look beautiful still.
And no part of the town is shut off - one can walk into people's houses
and try to imagine everyday life 2000 years ago - usually that is, as
the 'red light district' was under restoration, to the disappointment of
some (though I doubt any services are performed there nowadays).
After the guiding was complete, we were left with 20 minutes of time on
our own before returning to the bus. Not much to cover the rest of the
town, including the large amphitheatre at the other end, so some
time
was spent at a quiet corner of the Forum area. Then it was back to the
bus again, which was to meet with and pick up some tourists from a
two-day trip to Sorrento. The organisation was done in true Italian
style as we were getting used to by now, meaning there was waiting time
- and a lot of it. The other group was delayed by more than half an
hour, and it felt irritating to say the least to have to twiddle your
thumbs on the bus for this long when you were so strictly ordered to
return in time. Finally it was time for the return trip - another 3+
hours on the densely trafficked autostrada. After 14 hours of day trip,
it was good to return to the haven of the rooftop terrace of the hotel!
Day 4 - "How to do Rome in one
day"
The above heading is a bit of an exaggeration though - but a lot was
covered by doing the chosen route,
thus: took the 'A' subway from Roma
Termini to the station named Ottaviano - San Pietro. From here, it was a
relatively short walk to the border of the Vatican state, which is
indeed a sovereign state in the middle of Rome, the world's smallest,
and the most holy of places for catholics. It is guarded by the well
known Swiss guards - although they look a bit like clowns in their
costumes, these are all well trained
soldiers. Instead of aiming for the
Vatican museums, a direct course was set for the Basilica di San Pietro
(St Peter's Basilica). Getting through to the enormous piazza was like
getting through security at an airport - a necessary 'evil' of sorts.
The piazza itself is indeed huge, yet with all the colonnades and other
large buildings around, the cathedral doesn't look quite as big as one
would imagine at first. Still, it is difficult for the eye to comprehend
the actual scale of the surroundings once one is right in the middle of
St Peter's Square.
It was a wednesday, and the 'new' Pope had chosen this as his
appear-to-the-public day, so we came in the middle of a crowd of devoted
visitors, and managed to get a glimpse of him driving around (although
not by himself) and listening to bits and pieces of the mass in various
languages (including latin). Therefore, there was no access to the
Basilica either, which was a bit of a letdown - with the great weather,
a visit to the top of the cupola would have been quite an experience.
Since the visit to the Vatican state was this short, it would have to be
considered for a possible return trip.
The walk continued out from the
piazza to the Castel Sant Angelo. This was originally built as a
mausoleum for emperor Hadrian, from AD 135-139. It was turned into a
military fortress in around AD 400, before it was finally converted to a
castle in the 14th century by the popes, and was connected to St Peter's
Basilica by a fortified corridor.
The bridge leading over the Tiber is also worth a stroll - take a
picture of the statue covered bridge with the castle in the background,
just ignore the crowd of lined-up salespeople - they are there because
this is a tourist area. A short walk along the
Tiber, and you pass the
courthouse, which is quite large and pompous. Next on the list was the
Piazza Navona, a very pleasant and huge open circular place, originally
a circus in the 1st century. It is a pedestrian area and its main
features are three fountains, the dominant being the central Fontana dei
Quattro Fiumi (Four Rivers Fountain), which is a tribute to the four
great rivers of the world: the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Rio de la Plata
(why not the Amazon I wonder). The piazza's circumference is dotted with
cafes and restaurants - again, a typical tourist area, yet pleasantly
shielded from traffic.
The Pantheon was also paid a visit. This monumental building was
originally a temple to the seven deities
of the seven planets in the
state religion of ancient Rome, but has been a church since the 7th
century. It is the best-preserved of all ancient Roman buildings, even
though the one standing is not the original one, which was destroyed in
a fire in AD 80, and the "new" one is from AD 125. The domed ceiling is
an impressive sight, and with the open circle at the top - the Oculus
(Great Eye), often results in some atmospheric lighting inside. The
height from the floor to the top of the dome is exactly the same as the
diameter of the interior - 43.3 metres. The oculus serves as a free
ventilation system, as it creates a slight suction from the ground
entrance when wind passes over it.
Vittorio Emmanuel II's sarcophagus is visible in the wall in the
interior of the church/temple.
A short stop for lunch was added, also in a pedestrian area, and a bowl
of minestrone soup was enjoyed in
the pleasant springy sunshine while
watching parts of the world pass by. After this, it was time to visit
the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain), yet another well known place. As
fountain decorations go, this is a very large one, yet it is the statue
against the wall that is impressive, not the fountain itself. According
to legend, if you toss a coin into the fountain, chances are good you
will return to Rome. I have a theory that you are able to return even
without doing this, and presume to be able to prove it during the spring
of 2008.
The Piazza d'Espagna (Spanish Steps) was paid a short visit, but was not
a very impressive sight, as the
church on top had fallen victim to the
everlasting Curse of The Scaffolding, which seems to be present all
around. Truth be told, all such major structures require more or less
continuous restoration work, so it is mostly on postcards you will not
see them (perhaps they have been digitally removed even :)
The piazza is a much loved place for people watching, and one pair stood
out amidst the rest - an elderly U.S. couple where the man wore a
screaming yellow suit,
yet prize of the year for most ghastly outfit
went to the woman, who dressed as if she were in her thirties, and even
if she had been thirty, it would have been a revolting attire. Barely
able to walk on her high heels, she was guided down the stairs by her
hubby. Also, the amount of make-up and facelifts performed would
probably put even the most spoiled movie star to shame, yet the downside
of such vanity is that your skin will eventually protest to such unkind
treatment, and it showed all too well here.
The walk was a rather long one, yet with all the pauses and sights and
the lunchtime break, it didn't feel quite as taxing for the feet as one
might usually experience. Also, walking along some narrow cobblestoned
streets where Vespas are lined up in a throng has its charm and is a
good relief from the more trafficked roads. Dinner? The local chinese cafe, of course :)
The evening was spent doing another trip offered by the Appian Line tour
company. It was a 2-hour
roundtrip called 'Illuminated Rome',
where most of the major sights were passed by,
yet no time was given for
photography apart from the two stops that required walking to get to:
Piazza Navona and Fontana di Trevi. These were very impressive at night,
yet the Fontana di Trevi experience was marred by some very obtrusive
tourist trappers. Seemingly pleasantly flattering at first, one of them
was even visibly offended a tacky stunt failed and there was no sale
(read: tourist not so easily tricked).
Other sights that were passed which weren't visited during the day
(maybe next time) were Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus), and a 2400 year old
temple site which was under excavation. One of the most impressive
sights was the wedding cake monument to Vittorio Emmanuel II, which when
illuminated, was a completely different sight than during the day. This
should warrant a return trip alone - by foot and with a tripod for the
camera :)
The guide was very informative and humorous, as well as well-spoken in
several languages (English, German and Spanish), so this trip gave a
better impression of the company than the
Pompeii one.
The Termini station was also good
to have nearby to drop by for a snack or coffee break, and on one night,
a hot chocolate was ordered - this must have been the equivalent of the
espresso, as the spoon was able to stand upright in the liquid!
UNESCO sites visited on the journey:
Historic Centre of Rome, the
Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights
and San Paolo Fuori le Mura
Historic Centre of Naples
Archaeological Areas of
Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata
Links:
Rome Tourism: http://www.romaturismo.com/v2/en/main.asp
Appian Line Tour Operator:
http://www.appianline.it
